Beveridge aiming for the top with his Bulldogs

Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge said the team harbours hope of making the finals following their defeat of top-of-the-ladder Geelong last week.

"One or two teams who have established themselves at the top of the ladder start to feel the pinch here and there as far as their wins and losses. Who knows over the ensuing rounds what's going to happen," Beveridge said.

Luke Beveridge.Credit:AAP

Beveridge was reluctant to say the tide was turning, but was confident the Dogs had the ability to make it to the top.

"It's captain obvious, I should have the cape on. But we're playing good enough footy to be one of those teams at the top," he said.

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"I think every club who has a sniff of what's up ahead finds themselves at times preoccupied with what the possibilities are ... We're no different to that."

But he didn't defend the team from criticism they copped earlier in the season after defeats by low-performing teams Gold Coast and Carlton.

"We shouldn't get any credit. At one point not so recently, pretty recently, we hadn't won many games so I totally understand it," he said.

When asked if there was complacency among the players when playing teams near the foot of the ladder, he stressed the need for "even contribution".

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"We can't afford to have one or two of our guys being slightly off. We just get opened up," he said.

"We've learnt some lessons. That's the great thing about our group. There's chemistry there, we're playing better. Our backs are working well."

The coach said he wanted the team to be versatile, so that adjustments can be made to the game strategy on a week-by-week basis.

"We can create winning formulas, without being so complicated. Because essentially the players have still got to enjoy what they do," he said.

In an update on injuries, he said Tom Liberatore would train on Thursday and was "doing well" but needed another week before returning.

"It's not really conservative, it's just common sense. He should be right to go next week, this week would be rushing it," Beveridge said.

Dale Morris would be a "consideration for selection" but would likely play VFL level.

"Logically you think he should play ... He's just on the edge of coming in," he said.